Complete guide

How to find software developers in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, Spain
February 22, 2023
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Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, Spain, and is one of the most visited cities in Europe. It is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a stunning coastline, a stunning architectural landscape, and an exciting nightlife. Barcelona is known for its world-class museums, galleries, and churches, as well as its lively open-air markets, restaurants, and cafes. It is a popular destination for tourists and business people alike, offering something for everyone. Barcelona, Spain is also a great place to find software developers. But software engineers in Barcelona, Spain are also hard to find and hard to hire. Experienced developers get a lot of messages from recruiters, in some cases five or ten messages per day. To find engineers in Barcelona, Spain you have to search for engineers in different sources, reach out based on their preferred contact details, personalize your outreach and make an attractive offer. In this guide you'll learn more about the tech ecosystem in Barcelona, Spain, which methods to use to find developers and how to hire them.

Why Barcelona, Spain is a good place to find developers

Developer statistics in Barcelona, Spain

The statistics on tech talent in Barcelona, Spain show a rapidly growing tech sector with a highly educated and diverse workforce. Barcelona has become an especially popular destination for tech companies due to its strong, supportive government policies and its diverse, international talent pool. The city is home to over 1,000 tech startups, with the majority being small to medium-sized companies. The tech industry in Barcelona employs over 250,000 people, with the majority of them being software developers, engineers, and other technical professionals. The city has a skilled, highly educated workforce with over 50% of tech workers possessing a university degree. Additionally, Barcelona has a vibrant and supportive startup community, with a wide range of co-working spaces and incubators available to entrepreneurs.

The tech ecosystem in Barcelona, Spain

The tech ecosystem in Barcelona, Spain is rapidly growing, with a number of new startups, accelerators, and venture capital firms setting up in the city. The city’s tech scene is vibrant and filled with a diverse range of innovative companies working on a number of different technologies. Barcelona is home to several world-famous tech startups, such as Badi, Glovo, and Wallapop. It also has a thriving startup community with a number of accelerators, such as SeedRocket, G2K Ventures, and Mobile World Capital Barcelona. These accelerators provide early-stage startups with mentorship and resources to help them grow. The city also has a number of venture capital firms that invest in early-stage startups. Some of the most prominent firms include K Fund, Nauta Capital, and Project A Ventures.Overall, the tech ecosystem in Barcelona is thriving and has a lot of potential for growth. With the city’s strong startup community and access to capital, Barcelona is well positioned to become a major player in the tech world.

Best tech meetups in Barcelona, Spain

Attending local meetups is a great way of getting introduced  to technical talent and getting a better feel for what software developers care about.
These are the best local meetups:

1. Barcelona IoT Meetup
2. Barcelona Mobile App and Technology Meetup
3. Barcelona Web Performance Meetup
4. Barcelona Agile & Lean Meetup
5. Barcelona User Experience Meetup
6. Barcelona Ruby Meetup
7. Barcelona Start-up and Entrepreneurship Meetup
8. Barcelona Data Science Meetup
9. Barcelona Blockchain Meetup
10. Barcelona Android User Group

Best methods to source and recruit talent in Barcelona, Spain

There are many different ways to find and hire developers, some examples are:



1. Use job boards and online recruitment sites: Barcelona has many job boards and online recruitment sites that are specifically designed for software developers. Examples include Stack Overflow, GitHub Jobs, and AngelList.

2. Attend local tech events: Barcelona is home to many tech and programming events throughout the year. Attending these events can be a great way to network and find potential software development talent.

3. Leverage referrals: Reach out to your network and ask for referrals. This can be an effective way to find quality software developers in the area.

4. Use freelancing sites: There are many freelancing sites that can help you source software development talent in Barcelona. Examples include Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.

5. Partner with a recruitment agency: If you want to save time and resources, you can partner with a recruitment agency that specializes in software development. They can help you quickly find the right talent for your project.

These are currently the best methods to find and hire developers:

Search LinkedIn, GitHub and Stack Overflow and reach out

The best way to find developer talent in Barcelona, Spain is to find them in the places where they have an online profile and are active. Examples of those platforms are GitHub and Stack Overflow. LinkedIn can also be a valuable source.

Talent search engines can help you find developers online through a variety of sources. Most talent search engines also provide verified contact details so you can reach out to the talent you have found. In some cases these engines even automate a big part of the outreach process so you can reach hundreds of candidates per day.

An example of a talent search and engagement engine is HeroHunt.ai which can find 1 billion candidates worldwide and lets you reach out automatically with personalized messages.

Best job boards to find developers in Barcelona, Spain

An alternative way to attract development talent is to post a job on a (local) job board.

These are the best local job boards to post your developer job on:

1. LinkedIn
2. Indeed
3. Monster
4. Barcelona Startup Jobs
5. TechMeAbroad
6. BarcelonaJobs
7. Glassdoor
8. Stack Overflow
9. Barcelona Tech
10. Barcelona Urban Jobs

Best remote job boards to find developers in Barcelona, Spain

If you are sourcing for remote talent then you can utilize remote specific job boards where you can post your remote job.

These are the best remote job boards to post your developer job on:

1. Toptal
2. Remote.co
3. FlexJobs
4. WeWorkRemotely
5. Remotive
6. Jobspresso
7. Working Nomads
8. Craigslist
9. Stack Overflow
10. Upwork

How to hire software developers from any place without a local office

When you’re hiring software developers you need to be aware of the local average salaries in order to provide a competitive job offer. Below are the average salaries for software developers per experience level.

Average local salaries

Average salary for a junior software developer in Barcelona, Spain

The average salary for a junior developer in Barcelona, Spain is €29,000 per year. This salary is slightly higher than the national average for software developers in Spain, which is €27,800 per year. Junior developers typically have at least one year of experience in the field and are developing basic skills in programming languages such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Java. They are typically responsible for creating, maintaining, and debugging code, as well as designing and implementing solutions to technical problems. In addition, they may be required to provide technical support and troubleshooting assistance to customers and colleagues.

Average salary for a senior software developer in Barcelona, Spain

The average salary for a senior developer in Barcelona, Spain is €47,634 per year. This figure is based on an average of salaries submitted by anonymous job seekers who have experience as a senior developer in Barcelona. This salary range can vary depending on experience, skills, and the industry. Senior developers in Barcelona earn an average of €1,944 per month. This breaks down to an hourly rate of approximately €30. The range of salaries for senior developers in Barcelona can range from €35,000 to €60,000 per year, depending on experience and skills.

Employing software developers (remotely)

Maybe your company doesn't have an office (yet) in Barcelona, Spain. But that doesn't mean you can't hire employees in Barcelona, Spain. There are several options like EORs which can help employ developers legally according to the regulations in Barcelona, Spain.



An Employer of Record (EOR) is a service that allows companies to hire employees in countries where they do not have a legal entity. An EOR can help reduce your administrative and legal costs when hiring employees in Barcelona, Spain.

1. Identify an Employer of Record (EOR): The first step is to find a reputable Employer of Record (EOR) in Barcelona, Spain. Ask for references from other companies who have used the EOR, and research the company online. Make sure the EOR is compliant with local labor laws and has the proper licensing and accreditation.

2. Set Up Employment Agreements: The EOR will help you set up the necessary employment agreements with your employees in Barcelona. These agreements should include the employee’s responsibilities, salary and benefits, and any other important details.

3. Payroll Processing: The EOR will process your payroll for employees in Barcelona, including taxes and other deductions. They will also help you with any compliance issues related to the payroll.

4. Benefits Administration: The EOR can help you manage employee benefits, such as health insurance, vacation days, and other perks.

5. Termination of Employment: The EOR can also help with the termination of employment if necessary. They will ensure that all legal requirements are met.

By using an EOR in Barcelona, Spain, you can simplify the process of hiring and managing employees in a foreign country. An EOR can help make sure your business is compliant with local labor laws and reduce your administrative costs.

Use a platform to find and hire the best developers:
Best platforms to employ developers worldwide

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